Tag Archives: GOP

After Republicans Voted AGAIN to Protect Big Oil’s Taxpayer Subsidies, Floridians Left Wondering Who Haridopolos, LeMieux, and Hasner Will Fight for In the Senate

When it comes to Big Oil or taxpayers, whose side are Florida’s Republican Senate hopefuls on? That’s a question Floridians deserve an answer to from Mike Haridopolos and Adam Hasner after their party leaders in Washington once again picked Big Oil yesterday. Continue reading →

At U.S. Rep. West’s 5/16/11 Town Hall, GOP congressman & Tea Party favorite is circled by security forces, but still gets confronted by small business owner from his district who takes issue with Republican talking points on deficit, taxes, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid…and gets escorted out of the meeting for expressing himself. Continue reading →

From the Inbox: Congressman West Statement on South Florida Men Linked to Pakistani Taliban(WASHINGTON)

— Congressman Allen West (FL-22) released the following statement on the news of three South Florida residents charged with funneling money to the Taliban in Pakistan:

“The news that three South Florida residents, including an Imam from Margate, are among six people charged with providing support to the Taliban in Pakistan, is further proof that there are individuals among us aiding and abetting terrorists who want to destroy our way of life. The United States clearly continues to be a prime target. These men were living among South Floridians, worshiping at mosques in our own back yard, and using United States banks to wire money back to terrorist groups.

I commend the men and women of law enforcement who were able to apprehend these suspected terrorists. With the removal of Osama bin Laden, our enemies will only grow more brazen and more committed, not just overseas, but right on our own shores. I call on President Barack Obama, the Department of Justice, and all law enforcement to continue to recognize the seriousness of homegrown terrorism.

The protection of the citizens of this nation will continue to be my prime commitment. We must recognize that a very real, dangerous faction of Islamic extremism exists in our communities. These terrorists are recruiting American citizens, infiltrating our schools and our military, and using our own resources against us.

These terrorists will stop at nothing to kill and destroy us. America must be vigilant and on guard against attacks from the extreme Islamic world and not back down or show weakness to these terrorist groups. We must recognize America’s own soil has now become the center of a new, 21st Century battlefield.”

Republicans campaigned on the promise of focusing on job creation. Instead of putting Floridians back to work, the GOP majority has spent their first legislative session pushing their radical social agenda: regulating women’s reproductive health care just because they can.

Florida is leading the lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act based on the GOP claims of government over-reach in the doctor/patient relationship. So it makes sense that Republican lawmakers crafted a proposed constitutional amendment that includes weakening personal freedom by expanding the government.

HJR 1179 will be on the 2012 ballot and if passed, exempts abortion from the state’s strong privacy rights.

The ultrasound bill (HB 1127) was brought back from the dead and sitting on Governor Rick Scott’s desk for a signature.

Last year, Governor Christ vetoed a measure that would force women to have an ultrasound and view the images while listening to a detailed description.

Ultrasounds are routine in abortion procedures, and the most recent version allows women to opt-out of the narrated viewing. So, Republican lawmakers haven’t actually done anything other than send the message that women are too incompetent to make decisions about her reproductive health and the state government has to intervene.

Senators Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, and Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said as much during debate. “I didn’t come up here to come and tell you what you must do with your bodies,” Sen. Lynn said. “I will vote no, not only on this bill, but every other bill we have on abortion.”

Sen. Detert added that she resents voting on a bill that “acts like I’m too stupid to confer with my own doctor on what I should do. This is not what we were sent up here to do.”

Florida Congressman Allen West held a town hall event in Fort Lauderdale this evening. It would have been a better show (by which I mean “authentic”), however it did start with some fireworks.

Upon arriving, everyone was given a card to fill out with standard info such as name, address, phone number, and email. We were also asked to fill out the question/concern we wanted West to address. Initially I assumed it was so they could gauge the temperature of the crowd. Ya know, take stock of general areas of interest and call people to the microphone accordingly. This isn’t unusual considering what most GOP congressman have faced at their respective town halls this week. If anything I figured they were hoping to avoid the Medicare voucher vote entirely.

He works for "you"....just don't ask him any questions

This wasn’t the case it all. Instead of calling people down to voice their concerns, Allen West had 2 staffers allegedly read the questions to him. I know for a fact they threw aside most of genuine questions because they threw out at least 4 people who took issue with this Q & A format. One woman was taken into police custody.

Dave Weigel reports that a Wall Street front group is loading conservative activists with soft ball questions and packing them into GOP town halls. That was what I expected. Instead we have a Congressman totally ducking any questions and soft-balling himself.

With regard to the Debt Ceiling, West defined the terms under which he’ll vote to raise it: a constitutional “balanced budget” amendment”, a provision in the constitution that triggers automatic budget cuts when the federal budget nears the debt limit, deregulation and cutting corporate taxes to 20%.

**UPDATE** Turns out the woman who was arrested by Fort Lauderdale police was Air America’s own Nicole Sandler.

Today I saw a car that was very inspiring: an American Bald Eagle bumper sticker; another bumper sticker of a Stars and Stripes ribbon; even the license plate was of our nation’s flag reading “God Bless America”.